Author Archives: Bob Ruggiero

About Bob Ruggiero

I am a passionate fan of classic rock (and related music) with nearly 30 years experience writing about it for daily/weekly newspapers and magazines. I am also the author of "Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR." Available on Amazon!

Los Lobos Pay Tribute to Hometown Music on “Native Sons”

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

Though they’ve long billed themselves since their 1978 record debut as “just another band from East L.A.,” Los Lobos is anything but that common. Their inventive and groundbreaking mix of rock, soul, blues, R&B and surf—all wrapped in traditional Mexican, … Continue reading →

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Classic Rock Titans and Friends: Harrison and Clapton

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

All Things Must Pass Away: Harrison, Clapton, and Other Assorted Love Songs by Kenneth Womack and Jason Kruppa 304 pp., $28.99, Chicago Review Press One of rock and roll’s most enduring friendships was between George Harrison and Eric Clapton. From … Continue reading →

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Foghat Celebrates 50 Years of Fast Licks and Slow Rides

Posted on April 28, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

Roger Earl was all of 12 years old when he went through an experience that his tsk-tsking mother said affected his mental condition. That may have been true, but it also set him on a life and career path that, … Continue reading →

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Warrant Enjoys a Slice of Cherry Pie – with Eddie Trunk!

Posted on April 11, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

Note: This article originally appeared last summer. To his listeners across the country on various radio shows and a podcast—but most prominently his daily Trunk Nation program on SiriusXM—Eddie Trunk is an Oracle of All Things Hard Rock and Heavy … Continue reading →

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KISS Calls Doc-Tour Love on A&E Series

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

Though he was born in 1973 – a bit too late to experience the impact of the band at its commercial and cultural peak – young D.J. Viola nevertheless became a hardcore KISS fan. Though he knows it wasn’t always … Continue reading →

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Miles Copeland Remembers the Police, Go-Go’s, Bangles, & Timbuk 3 in Memoir

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

Miles Copeland II was a longtime CIA operative in the Middle East and involved in all sorts of secretive spy missions from the 1940s through the ‘60s. And his son—Miles A. Copeland III—often had to use similarly delicate skills and … Continue reading →

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Dennis DeYoung Wraps Up Recording Career with Nostalgic Yet Timely Release

Posted on March 14, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

He thought he was done making new music. Finito. End of the Road. When Dennis DeYoung released what he was calling 26 East last year, he fully expected it to be his final studio album in a long and storied … Continue reading →

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Styx Rocks Again While Heading (on Purpose!) Into a Crash

Posted on March 4, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

It’s 8:30 a.m. in Houston when Lawrence Gowan calls from his home in Toronto, Canada, which is a decidedly un rock-and-roll time for an interview. And even more so when the singer/keyboardist for Styx says he’s been up since 6:30 … Continue reading →

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Mercy, Mercy She: A Groupie’s Wild Child Story

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Mercy Fontenot was anything but a shrinking violet. In her alter ego as “Miss Mercy” – sporting distinctive raccoon eye makeup and dressed in layers of flowing gypsy clothes of lace, leopard prints, … Continue reading →

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Jack Blades of Night Ranger Says You Can Still Rock in America—Even in a Pandemic!

Posted on February 15, 2022 by Bob Ruggiero

Note: This article originally appeared in May 2021. As live concerts slowly start up again and bands cautiously plot summer and fall tours, it may be hard to tell who will be more excited: those standing in front of the … Continue reading →

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